Thompson vs Thompson (closed for Gr8chtr)

Entering the room, her mind still dazed from the kiss, Teri leaned against the door. She touched her lips with her fingertips and felt Walker's lips there. It was several moments before she stirred and got ready for bed. She was surprised when the phone rang. Walker was talking and Teri was trying to focus but her mind was still on that kiss. He said something about dinner the following weekend, but before she could respond, he told her to wait to answer him. She was glad as she couldn't really get her thoughts organized to answer one way or the other.

She could only respond, "Um.. okay," and he hung up.

Teri looked at the phone for a minute, wondered if she would even remember he called, shrugged and climbed into bed. As she lay there, she went over the day. It had been busy and hectic and amazing.

Watching the Andersons renew their vows had been special. She remembered when the two got married and thinking at the time that love was wonderful. Then came the break-up with Steve. She had always thought that the four of them would be together forever. She had dreamed of couples vacations, then family vacations, maybe seeing her children marry the Anderson kids. But, Steve took all that away. He and, to some extent, her parents made her question the reality of love, the permanence or lack of permanence in relationships. She had decided then that marriage was not for her, that she would never say permanent vows, not knowing how easily promises could be broken.

When she decided to become a lawyer, she had thought a long time about what field she wanted to specialize in and, although she knew divorce would be part of it, what drew her to family law was making a difference in people's lives. Helping them with their wills, making sure that people made responsible choices in supporting their families, helping sort out issues involving children, making sure people were protected from their own poor choices or from being taken advantage of by someone else. She didn't regret that choice, not even the divorce cases as she was usually able to help her client through the difficult time. But each divorce case had reaffirmed her decision to avoid marriage.

Since Steve, she had dated a few guys, but she had always kept her walls intact. Walker was the first person that threatened those walls and she didn't know how to handle all the emotions that were pouring in over those walls. By keeping her walls strong, she avoided any complications of hurting someone or being hurt by them. Walker had the possibility of endangering that. One or both of them could get really hurt when everything came crashing down. Teri had no doubts that everything would come down hard, she just wasn't sure when or how. But it would happen.

So why did she kiss him? Part of her was tired of that tension that was building between them. It was exhausting to constantly wonder what he would say or do or what she would say or do. She didn't want to have emotional melt downs, that just wasn't her, yet, she couldn't deny they were happening. She didn't like being out of control of herself or her emotions. Walker was taking up too much space in her head. But, Teri couldn't deny that the desire was there. She knew it was lust but if felt like something more. She didn't want it to be anything more. Lust she could handle. More.... well that scared her to the point where her brain couldn't even handle the concept, much less details.

So, why did she kiss him? Maybe part of it was lust, maybe part of it was curiosity to see what a kiss would be like that didn't catch her off guard, maybe it was the concept that if they got it over with, then the feelings would go away, or maybe she just didn't know why. But it left her with a sense of falling with no net in sight. She couldn't take it back, she didn't even know if she would want to if she had a choice. But she had crossed a line. She couldn't blame it on being drunk or exhausted or emotionally bereft. There was nothing that she could hide behind. She had willingly kissed Daniel Walker and she had enjoyed it. She had liked it. She wanted to feel those sensations again.

But if she gave in to those sensations, if she allowed herself to do this again, then she was giving out a message to Walker that she was interested in a relationship of some kind, beyond friendship. And that wasn't fair to him. So the best thing to do was to talk to him tomorrow, to apologize, to drive home and forget the past few weeks and pretend they didn't happen. To be professional when she had to be around him at the courthouse, but to move on with her life before she messed him up as bad as she was.

As she finally drifted off to sleep, her last thought was "But what if?"

The next morning, she packed up her stuff and took it to her car. Then went back in to meet Walker and the Andersons for breakfast. The meal was a quick affair as everyone was anxious to get on the road. There was laughter among the four of them but an underlying sense of sadness that comes when good friends part. There were hugs and handshakes between the four of them. Teri and Walker stood in the parking lot waving to the Andersons as they drove away.

Teri turned to Walker. "Thank you once again for driving up here to assist my friends and me. I really appreciated not only that, but how willing you were to fit into their weekend plans. That was really nice of you."

She opened her car door and turned back to him, "I guess I will see you when we get back to Silver Lake. Be careful driving."

Daniel awoke early and went for a short run before returning to his room to shower, shave, and dress. He was almost giddy with delight. He and Teri had had a real kiss, not just a peck on the cheek or lips, and Teri had participated equally. In fact, she had grabbed his shirt and pulled them into the kiss. Daniel laughed at himself as he jogged, the trite phrase "Today is the first day of the rest of your life" kept running through his head.

Five minutes before the appointed breakfast time Daniel left his room and walked to Teri's door. He expected to find her already in the hall waiting for him. After waiting several minutes he knocked on her door to no response. He walked to the cafe. Given that Teri wasn't in her room and that he was already more than 5 minutes late for breakfast, Daniel wasn't surprised to see Teri seated with the Andersons. What he couldn't understand was why she had left without him.

There was genuine warmth and friendship between Teri and the Andersons, and the Andersons seemed completely ready to accept Daniel as a part of their friendship circle. Maybe it was his imagination, but Daniel thought that Teri was less warm to him than she had been yesterday.

After the Andersons drove away Teri turned to Daniel and with a seemingly genuine but emotionally cold tone thanked him for coming to her aid and for being "willing to fit into their weekend plans." Daniel was stunned by her apparent complete emotional detachment from the fact that they had spent two days in one another's company as though they were a dating couple, and from the fact that they had kissed passionately, if only briefly, less than 12 hours ago. He was so stunned, in fact, that all he could say at the moment was "You're welcome." Teri's noncommittal "I guess I will see you when we get back to Silver Lake" felt like being stabbed.

Driving back to Silver Lake was hard for Daniel. He had to work hard to concentrate on his driving. During his morning run he had been on could nine; now he was in one of Dante's rings of hell, or so he convinced himself.

Arriving home Daniel considered having several beers, but pulled himself back from that cliff midway through the first beer; instead he called Jason. Under careful questioning Jason pulled every detail of the weekend out of his friend. Seeing how upset Daniel was he was uncommonly serious with few clever quips or teases.

"Daniel", Jason began carefully, "you've got a tiger by the tale here. From what you've told me Teri was burned really badly. She apparently hasn't let any man get even remotely close to her since then. To use the old Star Trek theme, you, my friend have gone where no man has gone before....well, not recently anyhow. That's going to scare the hell of of her. So, I know that Justin told you to not back off - and I agree - but right now I'd try to have the patience to wait. You made her an offer for the weekend. Above all, she's polite. I don't think she will just not reply at all. So...don't call her. Just wait. Let her come to you."

Daniel listened carefully to his good friend's analysis and advice. He was glad that that they were just talking by voice, not Skype; he could feel a small tear forming at the outside of his eye. "OK, my friend, thanks," Daniel said softly, "I'll try."

On the way home Teri stopped for groceries, then stopped in at her desk to see if she had any messages. Her messages could wait until tomorrow morning so she hauled her bag and groceries up the stairs and put everything away. She called Beth to let her know she was back and would be in the office in the morning. They talked for a short time and Teri let Beth know about the missing and found Paula, Walker's help and how he had stayed for the renewal ceremony, the dinner afterwards and how much fun they had had. They talked briefly about Beth's case and how it was going and Beth mentioned that a couple had come into ask about adopting a baby.

After talking briefly with Beth, Teri felt the need to move around. So she changed her clothes, packed a sandwich and an apple in her backpack, and headed out to the hiking trails. Instead of taking the trail she had walked the weekend before, she took one that was shorter and led to a scenic overlook. At the overlook, she found a flat rock and settled in to eat her lunch. She could see several miles over the valley. There was a couple of birds soaring in the sky but they were so far away she couldn't tell if they were eagles or hawks.

As she ate her sandwich she thought of Walker. What was she going to do? Did she rebuild her walls or let them down? Did she risk the pain that would come with seeing more of Walker or protect herself? Was she going to let herself have a chance at what Beth and Paula had or constantly live in the past? As the thoughts went through her mind, she realized that the situation was more about letting Steve control her life, or taking control of her own life. This was an interesting concept that she hadn't really thought through before. By building walls and keeping them up, she was letting Steve affect her above and beyond what he had done in the past. A long distance past. Why should anything he said or did affect the way she thought or acted? Was she going to let Steve run her life for her? Where was the independent Teri Jackson, that Teri believed she was? She had been fooling herself all these years thinking she was independent, when actually, she was still following Steve's mentality. How stupid! How ridiculous!

Teri finished up her lunch and watched a couple of lizards playing in the rocks near her. She had reached some conclusions. Steve would not affect her life. She would take chances again, knowing she could be hurt but risking it. She would take back control of who she wanted to be. She would.. Well for now she would hike back down the trail and head home. Then she would go to work tomorrow and give Walker a call to see if he still wanted to get together on the weekend.

There was a lighter bounce to her stride as she headed down the trail. She had a plan. She always felt better when she had a plan of action.

The next day she greeted her coworkers and headed for her office. She returned several phone calls including one to Mr. and Mrs. Lisbon. The Lisbons were planning to adopt a child and wanted to make sure that everything was legal. They had heard too many stories of illegal adoptions that led to the loss of the child back into the system. They had been visiting the adoption agency and had found a four year old child that they wanted to adopt. The boy's family had died in a car crash and he had been living with a foster care family for two months. The Lisbons purposely looked for an older child knowing that it was harder to find babies since everyone wanted them. Teri listened to Mrs. Lisbon explain the steps they had taken so far and then they agreed on a meeting time for Wednesday. Teri said good-bye and called Child Services to find out more about the situation so she could be prepared for Wednesday's meeting. The case worker was very excited about the possible adoption and the boy, Adam, seemed to enjoy being with the Lisbons. She would send more information to Teri's office.

It was almost noon when Teri had a chance to call Walker. He didn't answer his phone so she left a message: "Hi it's Teri. I just wanted to see if you still wanted to have dinner this weekend. Call me and let me know when and where. Thanks again for the fun weekend."

Daniel spent much of Sunday evening thinking about his telephone conversation with Jason. As the night wore on his mood began to rise. Jason was probably right; he had led – or, perhaps even pushed – Terri into what was very scary territory for her. No wonder she seemed to swing back and forth. He had focused, Daniel realized, on the “cold” moments, like this morning’s and afternoon’s seeming lack of acknowledgement of their late Saturday evening serious kiss. What he was missing was that she didn’t run away completely. Granted, this might all come to naught, but there still was hope.

After a good night’s rest Daniel’s mood on Monday morning was fairly upbeat. He knew that he had to wait for Teri to come to him, if she did, and that that waiting would be difficult. Buoyed by his newly regained optimism and the re-establishment of his typical daily routine, Daniel was able to report to work at the C & W firm and resume his duties. Thoughts of Teri were never very far from his mind, but his ruminations were not so powerful as to preclude a reasonable level of productivity. As a part of his strategy to focus on work, Daniel decided to turn off his cellphone. He was guessing that Teri would not call him this quickly; it was, after all, only a little more than 24 hours since they parted after breakfast at the resort. Besides, Daniel reasoned, if Teri did call she would likely leave a voice mail, and he’d have a record of her having called even if she didn’t.

C & W asked Daniel to take a new case that might lead to litigation. It was a simple auto accident case in which who was at fault was rather unclear. Daniel’s senior partners were by no means ambulance chasers, but as small town lawyers they generally needed to take most cases that prospective clients brought them. In addition, their client was a low-income worker who had dropped collision insurance on his 8-year-old car. If he was found to be at fault he would get no money from an insurance settlement that would allow him to replace what he had lost. Daniel was determined to try to get a favorable out-of-court settlement, and began immediately to do the research necessary to build a case – but not before determining that Teri’s firm was not representing the other party.

Daniel biked home after work feeling good about the day’s work and his more relaxed state regarding Teri. It was such a beautiful early evening that rather than start his mundane dinner, Daniel poured himself a glass of white wine, settled into a chair on his back porch, and propped up his feet. He was so relaxed that it was over a half hour before he remembered to turn his cellphone back on. Seeing Teri’s message in his voicemail, Daniel hit “play” instantly. Hi it's Teri. I just wanted to see if you still wanted to have dinner this weekend. Call me and let me know when and where. Thanks again for the fun weekend.

Hearing Teri’s warm message excited Daniel so much that he had to remind himself to calm down. In addition to accepting his invitation, Teri had thanked him for the “fun weekend”; that was a far cry from her distant statement at the resort thanking him for taking time to assist her. Daniel wasted no time returning Teri’s call to her cellphone. His excitement took another bounce when she answered on the second ring.

“Hi, Teri,” Daniel began, hoping that his tone conveyed the pleasure that he was feeling. “Thanks for calling. Of course, I still want to have dinner, but first, I want to apologize just a little bit. When I called you late on Saturday night when we were both in our hotel rooms, you were probably already half asleep. I should have waited until morning. You may not have even entirely heard what I said.” Laughing a little at his own silliness, Daniel continued. “What I suggested then, and I repeat now, was that on either Friday or Saturday night – I don’ really care, although I’d prefer Saturday - , you come to my house, or, if you prefer, I'll come to your apartment. I'll buy us a nice bottle of wine, and go to that little bakery and get some dessert, and you can demonstrate your renowned cooking skill by making us a meal. We'd have lots of time to relax or, you know, whatever, for the rest of the evening. Of course, if you’d rather do something else, that’s fine, make me an offer I can’t refuse.”

Daniel paused just for a moment, then continued before Teri could speak, “So, Teri, what do you say?”

Teri paused. She wasn't sure if she was ready to have him at her place or to go to his place. But she remembered her decisions of yesterday and said, “I am not sure I have renowned cooking skills. I just enjoy it. Chopping up vegetables can be very stress reducing.” They both laughed. “However, if you would like me to cook something up for us I can do that. Is there anything you are allergic to or don't like?” Her mind was already racing through various ideas of something she could make easily.

Daniel couldn't have been happier with Teri's response. She had accepted his proposal - details to follow - and had made a little quip that caused them both to laugh. What Daniel remembered most fondly from their two days at the Oak Creek resort was all of the times that the two of them had laughed comfortably. He didn't want to get too far in front of the facts, but they were beginning to seem a little like a couple to him. Further, even assuming that they were on a path to becoming lovers, they were certainly becoming friends. How nice!

"Well, Teri, I am in fact an omnivore, and one without any food allergies I am happy to report. Anything that you prepare will be fine with me." He paused, thinking up a joke of his own. "That is, just as long as you don't secretly poison me for those few times that I actually got the best of you in court." Daniel's remark set off another round of shared laughter.

Daniel's mind raced through options for what to say next, much as his quick mind often revised one of his planned statements in court proceedings. He rejected the trite "your place or mine", guessing that that might spark some latent anxiety that Teri was not expressing at the moment. He decided to claim some ground, but leave Teri decision space in which she was most comfortable. "OK, the menu choices are in your court. So, since you didn't express a preference for day, I'm going to pick Saturday, unless you object. As far as the venue is concerned, I'm going to defer to the fine woman who has just agreed to make us dinner."

"All right," said Teri, "we have dinner on Saturday at my house at 6:00 pm. The meal will be a surprise." It certainly will, she thought, since she had no idea what she would make. "I have a call on the other line, so I will talk to you later."

They said good-bye quickly and Teri pushed the flashing button. Her phone call turned out to be another lawyer asking for information about a previous case. They talked for a bit and then hung up.

Teri spend a few minutes thinking about Saturday's dinner coming up with ideas and tossing them out. Finally, she decided she was overthinking the whole thing and decided on a simple plan. That out of the way, she was able to get back to work on the Lisbon case. Filling in the time until lunch. Her afternoon was slow and thoughts of Walker slipped in and out of her mind. She did some paperwork, talked to Beth for a bit, then headed upstairs to her apartment. Dinner, a little tv, and then a book was her plan for the evening.

Daniel was pleased with the way events were turning out. He and Teri were set for their dinner date in her apartment on Saturday evening. Their previous times together – the lunch, their hike that ended uncomfortably, the unexpected weekend at the Old Creek resort – had not exactly been “dates” in the conventional sense, although they had served as the basis for a developing relationship between them. The planned home-cooked dinner in the privacy of Teri’s own apartment felt to Daniel something like a third or fourth “date”. It excited him, as well as pleased him.

Fighting back his impulse to hear Teri’s voice, Daniel restrained himself from making up an excuse to call Teri on Tuesday, the very next day after her call to him. He remembered from his earlier dating days all of the advice about not coming on too strong and scaring a woman away. By Wednesday night, though, he could bear it no longer. He called Teri on the excuse that since he had agreed to bring some dessert from the little bakery he needed to know if she were allergic to anything, or what her preferences might be. They chatted amiably, but not much longer than necessary to answer the question at hand. Surprisingly, though, between them they found reasons to call each other Thursday and Friday evenings, and even Saturday morning, with the calls later in the week evolving into sharing the events and thoughts of their daily lives. By Saturday morning Daniel would have been hard pressed to identify who had called whom; it just seemed natural.

Since the dinner was to be at Teri’s, Daniel didn’t have much to do to prepare. On the off chance that at some time in the near future, though not on Saturday, Teri might come to his house, he invested some effort in tidying up and cleaning. He also gave some thought as to what to wear. Presumably, this was a rather casual affair, just the two of them. Saturday was forecast to be a beautiful late summer day, but fairly warm. Daniel guessed that Teri’s apartment over the law office probably didn’t have central air conditioning. His house had a screened porch; perhaps her apartment did, too. He decided to take a risk and dress real summer casual – polo shirt, the hiking shorts that he had worn on their hike, crew socks and running shoes. He made sure to wash everything, but skipped the silly ironing that he had done for their hike.

On Thursday, Daniel ordered a small chocolate, raspberry cake that he could pick up on his way to Teri’s on Saturday. He drove the 20-some miles to the larger regional town to buy wine. Not knowing what Teri was going to cook for dinner, Daniel accepted the store owner’s suggestions for a red and a white, just in case.

Come Saturday morning Daniel was feeling a mix of anticipatory excitement and nervousness. He didn’t want to blow what seemed to him like an important milestone in their journey. He went for an exhilarating morning run, showered, had breakfast, and relaxed on his screened porch, enjoying the summer morning. He went down his mental checklist and concluded that everything was in order: the bottle of white wine was chilling in his refrigerator, the bottle of red was by the door, the clothes he decided to wear were clean and lying on his bed, he could pick up the cake at the bakery on his way to Teri’s. All set!

Then a thought struck him that caused him to blush with embarrassment, even though he was alone: Condoms! Daniel’s mind twisted in all kinds of directions at the thought of packing condoms as part of his preparation. He hadn’t suggested dinner at one of their places as a pretext for sex, had he? No!; sure he ultimately wanted Teri as a lover, but not to be initiated in some adolescent-type setup. But, wait, suppose things turned out that Teri wanted to become intimate, what then, to be stymied by his lack of forethought? After several minutes of such mental torture Daniel started to laugh at himself. He and Teri were single adults. They were probably on a road to eventually being lovers. It was not, Daniel decided, lascivious to pack some condoms when going on a date with Teri. It took Daniel a good half hour to remember where he had stashed the condoms that he had brought with him when he moved to Silver Lake. With some, small lingering embarrassment he quietly placed them in the one of the pockets of his hiking shorts.

Daniel arrived at Teri’s apartment just a few minutes past 6:00. Per one of their phone conversations he approached from her outside back door rather than through the law office. On the way he had decided not to give Teri an automatic “hello” kiss; hopefully, there might be time for some kissing later, but he didn’t want to raise Teri’s anxiety. Teri appeared at her door as Daniel approached with his grocery bag carrying the cake and two bottles of wine. When he saw Teri standing there in her doorway, a wash of warmth spread over Daniel’s entire body. Without thinking he broke into a huge grin, his face slightly flushed. A second look at Teri and his resolve to not kiss her collapsed. Swiftly setting his grocery bag on the counter as he entered through the kitchen door, Daniel laid his hand on Teri’s shoulder, leaned in, and planted a short, sweet, but firm, kiss on Teri’s lips.

Saturday afternoon came quickly and before Teri knew it, it was almost time for Walker to show up. Earlier she had gone shopping and picked up the things she would need to make dinner. She was glad she had chosen simple items as her week had become more hectic at work. The Lisbon adoption was on its way through the red tape system, she had consulted on three cases regarding living wills, and attended the funeral of one of her first clients since coming to Silver Lake.

She spent the morning shopping, cleaning her apartment and deciding what to wear. The shopping and cleaning was easy, what to wear not so much. Should she be relaxed? It was an at-home meal or should she dress up since it was a date? After trying on several outfits she finally decided she was overthinking and settled for a pair of navy slacks and a red pullover sweater with a heart shaped neckline. Since she would be cooking she added a pair of simple flats. She laid out the clothes for later and headed for the kitchen.

She washed and thinly sliced a few potatoes and an onion. They layered them in a greased baking dish. She mixed cream and butter into a small pan and added some seasonings, then melted in the cheese. She poured that over the potatoes and onions and put it in the oven to back. Soon the scent of cooking cheese filled the apartment making her hungry. She chopped up salad vegetables: carrots, radishes and celery and set them to the side to add to the greens later.

While the potatoes baked she took her shower and got dressed. A quarter to six, she checked on the potatoes. She added some more cheese to the top and turned the heat up to create a brown cheese topping for her au gratin. Then she mixed up a simple basil vinaigrette for the salad.

She was feeling like she had things well under control when the downstairs buzzer when off. When she got to the door she saw that Walker had definitely brought dessert and what looked like wine. She smiled as she opened the door to greet him. The two of them went upstairs and as she started to suggest that he put the wine and desert on the counter, he did so, then leaned in and kissed her. It was a sweet welcoming kiss and she couldn't help but return it.

The oven timer went off startling both of them and they laughed softly. She moved away to pull out the potatoes and set them on the counter to cool. She asked him what temperature he wanted his fillet, then suggested he turn on the tv while he waited for the steaks to cook. Instead he settled in on a stool on the other side of the small island. At first having him watch her made her nervous, but he started telling her about his week and she slowly relaxed.

She seasoned the meat then seared the sides of the steaks in rosemary butter, then set them into the oven to finish off. While they were cooking she put together the salad mixings and set the table. Walker helped her lay out the plates and carried the hot pan of potatoes to the trivets that were already on the table. He opened the wine and poured them each a glass. She talked about her week as they waited for the steaks to rest. Then she took the salad bowl and cruet of vinaigrette to the table, Walker carried the plate with the fillets.

The table itself was simple. She had put some fresh cut flowers into a small vase to the side of the table. They settled into their seats and served themselves. Teri looked over the table and was happy with her choices. The seared meat looked great, the potatoes had cooled down just enough that they were edible, and the salad was crisp and colorful with the vegetables she had added. The red wine Walker had brought would go great with the meal and she loved raspberries.

She hoped he was as pleased with the food as she was. She watched him as he took his first bites trying to gauge his reaction.

Having broken his resolve and kissed Teri as soon as he could put down his grocery bag, Daniel was comforted when she returned his kiss in kind. Given the much more intense kiss that the they had shared the week before, he wasn't surprised, but he was pleased. He laughed easily along with Teri when their brief kiss was interrupted by the oven timer, almost as though some invisible being had said, "OK, kids, time to stop kissing and get on with dinner." The external interruption did, however, leave open the question as to whether they would have otherwise kissed longer.

Daniel regarded positively Teri's offer for him to watch TV as she finished cooking, but he just couldn't stand not watching her as she cooked. He was happy to see that if that made her a little nervous, it wasn't too bad, and they moved into a very nice conversation. In fact, what Daniel noticed mostly was how comfortable the whole event seemed so far. Their working together to get the food on the table seemed very much like what an established, dating couple would do. On top of that, Teri had prepared an truly excellent meal - not a fancy, gourmet dinner, but a great meal that really fit this occasion.

Daniel took a first few bites; they were delicious. Beaming broadly, he raised his wine glass in a toast, gesturing for Teri to join him, and locking his gaze with Teri's as he spoke. "This is a delicious dinner, Teri, thanks. Here's to the chef whom I'm so pleased to have as my friend, and here's to a lovely summer evening with the most beautiful woman in Silver Lake." Daniel tinked Teri's wine glass, waiting for her reaction.

"Thank you, a little overdone for the circumstances, but I am glad you like the food," she laughed lightly.

They continued to talk as they ate and Teri was feeling comfortable with having Walker in her apartment. One of the things she liked most and also surprised her the most was how easily they talked and laughed. Who would have thought that they shared similar tastes in many things. It made her see him in a new light. Was it possible that they could have some kind of long term relationship? Up to now, she had been focusing on the idea of a light casual friendly relationship, but, maybe if she could be open to it, there might be more? She wasn't going to think about it now. She didn't want to possibly ruin what was turning out to be a nice evening. She'd think about it some more, later.

Teri was pleased when Walker had second helpings of the potatoes. She liked cooking for others and she especially liked it when the other people enjoyed the meal. They continued to talk and laugh through dessert and another glass of wine.

Raising her glass as he had done earlier, she toasted, "Here's to the provider of good desserts and wine. May he have the chance to do it again."

She had a slight moment of panic when she realized what she had said. But she let it go. She would like to have a meal with him again. She would even enjoy preparing it. So she decided to toss it out there.

"Would you be interested in doing this again, next weekend or the weekend after?"

Daniel was enjoying very much both the dinner and Teri's company. What continued to surprise and delight him was how comfortable it all seemed. To be sure they had seemed to have a similar level of comfort when they were at the Oak Creek resort with Justin and Paula, but that was an easier situation. There were four of them, and Justin and Paula were long-time, dear friends of Teri's. This dinner was just the two of them in a very private venue, a situation in which it might be harder to be this comfortable with someone with whom one was, possibly, beginning a relationship. What was particularly nice was that smiles and laughter seemed to come frequently and easily for both of them.

Teri's toast took Daniel a little by surprise. She had never been anywhere close to flirting or being at all forward with regard to their relationship. Daniel noted that Teri paused immediately after her toast and seemed, maybe, to be re-thinking her implied offer. His heart sank just a bit; he didn't want her to back away. That Teri, instead, put him on the spot by asking him directly if he wanted to repeat the experience took him even more by surprise. He didn't have to think at all about his reply.

"Asking me right now if I'd like to have you cook dinner for us again soon is a bit like asking a man in the Sahara if he'd like a glass of water!" Daniel paused very briefly. "You can take that as an enthusiastic 'yes', Teri, and I think next weekend would be perfect. The only question would be whether you would like to repeat this experience here or at my house, but we can decide that later; either is OK with me." Before Teri could respond, Daniel began to laugh, "But, wait a minute. Hold on. Let me get this straight. Are you asking me for a date? How am I supposed to maintain my image of you as a shy, passive, unassertive woman?" They both broke out in gales of laughter at his teasing comment that lightly referenced some of the previous bumps in their relationship.

When their laughter died down, Daniel quickly helped gather up the dishes and put them in the dishwasher over Teri's mild protest that he needn't do any cleaning up. Daniel relished the symbolism that he was not simply an invited guest. Noting that the wine bottle still had only about a half glass left, Daniel divided the remaining wine between their two glasses. Once Teri had started the dishwasher Daniel suggested that they finish off the wine sitting on Teri's IKEA sofa. Teri accepted his suggestion with apparent comfort, another small point that both pleased and relaxed him.

The light conversation that Teri and Daniel had engaged in during dinner continued as they sat side-by-side sipping the very little amount of wine in each of their glasses. It was, Daniel thought, almost as if they were deliberately sipping their wine as slowly as possible so as to postpone the point at which Daniel would presumably leave. Sitting closely to Teri filled Daniel with a warmth that he had not felt in years. The sensation was, he concluded, partially erotic, but mostly affectionate. Notwithstanding, he knew that he couldn't completely ignore the urge to kiss Teri.

Eventually, both of their wine glasses were empty. Their relaxed conversation was so pleasant that Daniel dreaded the ubiquitous "awkward silence" between newly dating couples as they await the initiation of a kiss. He decided to move quickly. Twisting to partially face Teri, Daniel quietly spoke, "Thank you, Teri, for a really lovely evening." He slid his hand behind Teri's neck and pulled them slowly but firmly into a kiss. Daniel was careful to not come on too forcefully, but he initiated a kiss similar to the one that Teri had impulsively given him outside of their hotel rooms at Oak Creek. He was certain that Teri would correctly perceive that the difference between his kiss now and their sweet "hello" kiss earlier was entirely deliberate. He hoped that his deliberate move would not be unwelcome.

Teri melted into the kiss, letting the pleasure of it fill her with warmth. She had had a wonderful evening, but now came the awkward part. She wasn't ready for the next step, but she couldn't claim work the next day as an excuse. She couldn't leave, it was her apartment. In retrospect, this plan hadn't been thought through all the way.

They kissed until she had to break it, gasping for air. Her heart was pounding and she knew she was flushed, she could feel the heat of her skin. She leaned her forehead against his chest as she tried to get enough air into her lungs to breathe. Walker could kiss like no one else and it was hard to not want to drown in those kisses.

When she had her breath back, she leaned back to look into his eyes. He had pretty eyes with long lashes. But it was the intensity in those eyes that had her pulling even further back.

"It was a nice evening. I really enjoyed it. But I'm not... I can't...," flustered she waved her hand in the general direction of the apartment. "I am sorry. I am just not ready." She hoped he would understand. Lord knew she was attracted to the man, but her nerves were too erratic and that sent up red flags.

Teri's initial reaction to his kiss told Daniel that his advance was not unwelcome. He breathed a small, silent breath of relief as their kiss continued. It was what happened beyond her initial reaction that set Daniel's heart and body on fire. Far from just returning a brief, similarly intense kiss, Teri kept up their passionate kissing until she, literally, stopped to gasp for air. Teri was a woman, Daniel concluded, who was every bit as attracted to him as a potential lover as he was to her. That he had not even imagined when he took the initiative.

Daniel held Teri's gaze as she held his. God, she was so beautiful! But what was really striking was her focus. Just as she could focus with great intensity on her legal arguments in court, she seemed to be focusing on nothing other than the two of them in the moment, even as she began to demur.

Daniel was touched by Teri's awkward half-statement, half-apology. It showed to him how she was struggling with her emotions. Her statement also seemingly inferred that he was pushing to have sex right now. In fact, exceptionally aroused though he was, absent an unexpected strong advance by Teri, Daniel had assumed that they would kiss and caress passionately for a while, then call it an evening - sort of a preview for some not-too-distant encounter.

Daniel backed up slightly and took both of Teri's hands in his. His breath having returned to nearly normal, he spoke softly, but with confidence, "Teri, you have nothing to be sorry for. If, and when, we become lovers, it will be when we are both completely ready." He paused, briefly, "It might surprise you, Teri, but I'm not completely ready either."

Daniel knew that he should have just left it at that, but as he calmed down, his sense of their comfort with each other returned, and, along with it, his sense of humor. A grin began to cross his face and a twinkle began to light his eyes, "However, Teri, if it turns out that you're this good a kisser all of the time, I may not be able to control myself." Daniel's chuckle turned into full blown laughter. He hoped that a little humor, even though probably misplaced, would help them return to their previous comfort level as he prepared to leave.

Teri smiled at Walker's parting joke, but, in truth, she was relieved that he wasn't ready either, or at least he was willing to say that he wasn't. She wasn't sure exactly what was holding her back, fears from the past most likely, but still she felt that if they were going to develop a long term relationship, one that had meaning, that could possibly lead to something more, she needed to take it slow. Slower that the average magazine article recommended. She didn't want to take that next step and then have him walk away because "he got what he was after" but, then, Walker didn't seem the type. But what did she know? Men certainly did not think the same way women did.

She was still pondering the difference between men and women and thinking as she prepared for bed. Climbing in, she snuggled down into the sheets. One thing for sure, no matter how differently he thought, he was hands down the best kisser she had ever met. Remembering his kiss made her smile even as she drifted off.

The next day she was cornered in her office by both Beth and Patty. "Well," Beth asked, "how did it go?"

"It went fine. It was basically steak and potatoes, we talked and we laughed, and we made plans to do it again next weekend."

"Oh, good, great," Patty claimed, "but we want to hear the good stuff."

"That is the good stuff," insisted Teri. "We ate, we talked, we laughed, he went home."

"He went home?" asked Beth. "He just went home."

"That is correct. He was a perfect gentleman."

"Well, did he at least kiss you good night?" they both asked at the same time.

Teri blushed and laughed, "Yes, he is a good kisser."

"So, you are getting together again next weekend?" Beth arched her brow in question.

"Yes, we had so much fun, we agreed to get together again. Now don't you two have work to do? Or am I the only one that works around here?"

The two women laughed as they headed back to their desks. Teri smiled. It was good to have people that cared about her, but what she was feeling for Walker seemed too personal to share, at least at the moment. She wanted to figure out her feelings and thoughts before she shared them with any one else. Still, she was willing to admit at least to herself, she was curious to see where things went with Walker and if they really had what it would take to make it.

Now if only she knew what that was.

Daniel left Teri’s house bathed in a confident, warm glow. It had been simply a delightful evening, comfortable and relaxed yet stimulating emotionally and intellectually. And, yes, he had to admit, physically as well. Their “hello kiss” seemed just as natural as one would expect from an established dating couple, even though they might not yet be quite “established”. Ditto with the rest of the evening. And the intense kissing on the couch, though not entirely as comfortable, felt great to Daniel. He especially noted that, notwithstanding Teri’s somewhat emotional demurral, she had not disengaged too far, and on the “Teri Scale” her anxious reaction was fairly mild. “On top of all of that,” Daniel told himself as he drove through the country roads to his own house, “Teri’s one hell of a fine kisser! If we’re only half as good at sex as we are at kissing, we’re going to have a really good time – assuming, of course, that we ever get there.”

Arriving home Daniel quickly prepared for bed. It was earlier than he usually turned in, but somehow, although he was still high on the evening, he was quite tired and ready for bed. Drifting off to sleep Daniel’s mind was filled with the feeling of Teri’s lips pressing hard and passionately on his own, the sides of their bodies pressed up against one another, their arms holding them together. His sensations were a mix of warm emotion and erotic arousal. Daniel revived himself just long enough before falling asleep to realize that he hadn’t experienced these feelings, and certainly not to this degree, since the early days of his dating his ex-wife, Jill. Despite the divorce that he, himself, had initiated, in their dating period and the first half of their relatively brief marriage, he and Jill had had a terrific romance and a superb sex life. “Maybe, just maybe,” Daniel thought as he finally fell asleep, “this time I could have all of that without the bad ending.”

Daniel worked hard and successfully at relaxing all day Sunday. He also resisted calling Teri, fearing that she would see him as pushing too hard. On Monday morning, though, he called her cell. He got only voicemail; perhaps she was already in transit to work or was out running, or something. He decided to leave a message: “Good morning, Teri. I just wanted to say again how wonderful our dinner at your house was. I can hardly wait for our repeat this Saturday. No rush, but call me when you can. I’d just enjoy chatting with you.”

Teri was surprised to hear from Walker so early in the week. Her first thought, upon seeing that she had a message from him, was that he wanted to cancel their date. But when she had a chance to actually listen to the message she realized he just wanted to talk. She was due in court in a few minutes so decided to call him back later.

A young girl had been removed from her home when the police had arrested her parents for drunk driving. Now that the parents were out on bail they wanted their daughter back living with them. Teri's job was to represent the daughter's rights and to ensure that the living situation was safe. After talking to the parents, the daughter, and the Child Services, Teri felt that the situation was a simple two glasses of wine over dinner and an enthusiastic new police officer. The judge heard everyone's point of view, then allowed the girl to return to her family with the condition that the parents take a class on drinking and driving. Teri was happy with the results and watching the little girl happily reunited with her parents was a reminder of why she had become a lawyer.

She returned to her office, did the closing paperwork which she passed on to Patty, then leaned back in her chair. Picking up the phone, she dialed Walker's cell.

"Hi, it's Teri. I had a great time Saturday night and I am looking forward to this weekend." Teri could hear the pleasure in her voice and knew it was partly because she had had a great time and partly leftover emotions from her court case.

"How has your day been going?" she asked.

In an odd way Daniel appreciated the otherwise mundane character of Teri’s question. There was a certain closeness about asking about the details of one’s day that increased his sense that he and Teri were, in fact, growing closer.

During their dinner at Teri’s Daniel had not described the auto accident case that he was working on. He had, in fact, concluded that case today on a very successful note. Daniel was really excited to tell Teri about it. He explained how his client had had this accident in which it was very vague who was at fault. His client’s problem was that since he had dropped his collision insurance on his old car if he was found at fault or the case was simply dismissed with no finding resulting in an insurance settlement for him, he would not be able to afford a replacement vehicle which he needed to keep his job. Daniel had realized that he had almost no chance of doing any better than a draw, which wouldn’t help his client. He decided on a different strategy. Using a combination of very aggressive posturing and good communications he convinced the other guy’s insurance carrier that he could use large enough number of motions, inquiries, etc. that the company’s legal bills would be greater than the $3,000 that his client needed to buy an old, used car. In other words, he blackmailed them, legally, and won. He was very proud of his work and was thrilled to be able to share his victory with Teri.

Since the dinner date, though, Daniel had decided that he and Teri need to have at least some serious discussion about where they were going, notwithstanding that this was likely to raise Teri’s anxiety. It would, Daniel knew, be very tempting to steer clear of such conversation, but, he reasoned, not doing so would eventually result in one of them (probably him) making a mistake that could threaten what they already had. After Teri had finished reacting to his story of his day, Daniel screwed up his courage and plunged ahead. “Teri, like I said, I’m really looking forward to our Saturday dinner. I had such a great time this past Saturday, I can hardly wait to do it again. However, I do want to say in advance that I want to have some time to kind of discuss where we are and where we want to go. I’d hate to screw up and ruin what I have come to so enjoy and value about our time together.”

"Sounds like you got your client a good deal," she replied. She wasn't sure if she approved of his tactics, but they weren't unusual for a lawyer when dealing with a major corporation so she couldn't object to the way he handled it. In the same situation, she may have done something similar. Who knew unless they were in that situation at the time?

She went on to tell him about her case and how happy the family was to be reunited. She enjoyed sharing the case with Walker. She had Beth and Patty to share with and she had, but still, it was nice to share a success story with him and she realized he had enjoyed sharing his success with her. It wasn't a moment of bragging for either of them, just a quiet sharing. She liked that. The Walker she had known in the past would have sounded more like he was bragging, but then again, the Walker she had known in the past wouldn't have called her in the first place. She wasn't sure if he changed or just her perception of him had changed but she was happy that they had come to a meeting of the minds, so to speak.

"However, I do want to say in advance that I want to have some time to kind of discuss where we are and where we want to go."

Teri was at a loss for words. She couldn't remember anyone saying they wanted to talk about the future after only a couple of dates. Not even her girlfriends would bring that up so soon. Just when they were getting comfortable with each other, he wanted to have "THE TALK" and Teri found herself struggling not to panic.

"Um... sure. We can do that." She wasn't sure how they had gotten from Saturday's "we're not ready for the next step" to Monday's "we have to talk about the future" but apparently that was where they were. "Instead of me cooking, why don't we meet at your place and talk, then if we feel like it we can order in or go out?" She figured that way if things got too crazy she could leave and she wouldn't have to sit through a dinner after they talked.

She really wished it was Friday and not Monday. The idea that "the talk" would be hanging over her head all week didn't thrill her. She was glad when her phone rang and she had a good excuse to hang up. She didn't know what more she could say.

"Listen, my phone is ringing, I need to get back to work. So, um.. I will meet you at your place at 6:30 so we have time to talk on Saturday. Could you email or text me your address? Gotta go. Have a good week."

She hung up. "Have a good week? Good grief." She took a deep breath and then answered the ringing phone.

Daniel felt both relieved and anxious. Teri had, at least on the surface, agreed to the notion that they would talk about their relationship. He knew that it would make her anxious and he knew that it made him so. However, he still believed that this was for the best. He'd just have to be careful.

When Teri's landline rang Daniel actually heard it. So, he knew that she wasn't making up an excuse to hang up. However, he sensed that she was eager to get off of the phone. And, what was this change of plans about? Why would she risk leaving the psychological safety of her own house and, instead, come to his? Shit! He had scared her some - not enough, apparently, for her to back out, but still. He decided to try to lower the intensity some, just in case.

Daniel waited a half hour or more so as to not seem too pushy or eager. Then, per Teri's request, he sent her an e-mail that included his acceptance of her 6:30 proposed time, his address, and suggested driving directions. He also added, "I didn't mean to suggest that I want to talk about our future in some big way. So, please don't be too worried. I just want to make sure that we're on the same page with what we're doing now." Daniel was about ready to sign off with a cheery remark, when a humorous thought struck him. "Hey, Teri, wait. What's the implications of your proposal? Are you suggesting that your humble servant can't even cook a simple meal? I've grilled a steak or two in my day. Heck, I even once made a salad! So, if you really prefer, we can order in or go out, but if not, I'd like the chance to show you that I'm not completely w/o culinary talent."

It was later that evening when Teri had a chance to read Walker's email. Rats, now what? She didn't want to feel guilty if he cooked dinner and then she left before they ate it, but she didn't want to feel trapped thinking she had to eat it either. She couldn't imagine a more stressful thing than to have "The Talk" and then try to eat something. She couldn't get out of this by pretending to be sick, it was too early in the week. She couldn't claim a work emergency several days in advance.

She poured herself a glass of wine and sipped as she paced. It dawned on her that she had drunk more wine since spending time with Walker than she had in the past year. This was not a good sign. Still she sipped and paced, paced and sipped until late into the night.

Eventually she fell asleep only to wake to a pounding headache and no decision as to what to do. It was going to be a long, long day.

By Tuesday evening Daniel was worried because Teri had not responded to his text. It was already almost 24 hours later. Who doesn't respond to a text by that time? He decided to call Jason, his advisor on all things romantic. Ever the counselor Jason asked for all of the details. Daniel described to him his dinner date with Teri, their serious kiss, her statement that "I'm not ready yet", his statement to her that he wanted to have a discussion about where they were in their relationship, his follow-up text message, and the fact that Teri had not yet responded to his text.

Daniel: "So, Jason, that's it. What do you think?"

Very long silent pause.

Daniel: "Well???"

More silence.

Jason: "Well, good buddy, here's what I think. [pause] "Your a fucking, impatient idiot."

Daniel: "Jason! Come on!"

Jason: "Daniel, you apparently want this relationship to be like some kind of mechanical machine. Get everything lined up, no loose ends at any point. Big guy, it's not going to be that way. Both of you are pretty scarred from your last serious relationships. You need to have patience, roll with the punches, and realize that things are likely to be pretty unclear for some time. Live for the moment: You and Teri apparently had a very nice evening, including ending it with a serious kiss from which she did not withdraw. Just let it be as that without worrying about what happens next. Heck, she even asked you for a repeat, which, I fear, may now be in some jeopardy. "

Daniel withered in his seat as his friend lectured him. In his heart Daniel knew that Jason was right, but he needed to defend himself. "Yeah, but see...well..I kind of told Terri a lie, or at least a half truth, and I really think I need to clear that up. I told her that I wasn't ready for sex either, but that's not really true. I think that Teri wants to have a relationship that's damn near close be being engaged before we have sex, and I'm not there yet. But, I'm certainly ready to have sex in the context of what we seem to already have, and are likely to continue. So, you see, I lied, and that's not right by Teri."

Jason paused for another moment, "Daniel, I know that Teri is a lawyer and I think that you told me that she's really smart, right?" Daniel grunted an affirmative acknowledgement, as Jason continued, "You didn't fool this brilliant woman at all. She knows damn well that you didn't tell the whole truth, but, just think, she still was willing to have another date. You gotta have some faith here, Daniel."

Daniel mulled over Jason's comments. "Ok, so what should I do?" Jason replied in a soft, reassuring tone, "You and Teri seem to have something good going. You clearly like each other a lot, and I'm pretty sure that she's quite attracted romantically to you, even though she has not said so. So, Daniel, you're going to have to trust this relationship and trust Teri. You can't take back your impulsive request for a serious talk. So, try not to scare her any more than you probably have already. Don't pressure her. Don't call or text her until the weekend unless she contacts you first. Let her come to you. And when you do eventually see her, Jesus, I don't know, maybe just hold her for awhile. And, for Chrissake, shut up!"

Daniel sighed as he silently acknowledged his friend's wisdom. "OK, Jason, I'll try. You have a front-row seat to this show. Stay tuned."

Tuesday was a crazy day. A couple of walk-ins about a will and a living trust. Two calls from Child Services. And throughout it all there was this throbbing headache from too much wine and too little sleep. It didn't help that she still hadn't contacted Walker and she was feeling guilty about it. But she still didn't know how she was supposed to react, how she felt, what he felt, what he was thinking.

She was pretty close to throwing in the towel on this... this what? Relationship, budding relationship, doomed relationship? Oh, did her head hurt.

As soon as the clock hit five o'clock, she cleared her desk, said good-bye to the others and headed for her bed. Six hours later, she woke up, feeling much better but wishing she hadn't slept for so long. Now she was going to have trouble falling asleep. As she lay there, her stomach started growling and she realized she hadn't eaten since breakfast, the day had been too busy. She got up, made some toast and chamomile tea, and curled up in the corner of her couch with a soft throw over her shoulders.

As she ate, Teri thought about the weekend's talk again. It was late but she figured Walker would be wondering why she hadn't returned his message. She turned on her laptop and while she waited for it to start, she tried to figure out what she would put in the message. Finally, she was able to bring up her email account and Walker's message.

She hit the reply button and wrote a simple response. "Sorry it took me so long to return your message, I had a busy day. I thought about your message and I still think we should wait to decide where or what to eat until after we talk. You wrote that you wanted to see if we were on the same page. I am not sure what that means exactly, but I guess I will find out Saturday. I wasn't implying anything about your ability to cook or not, I just felt like going out since we stayed in last weekend. However, if you feel that you would prefer to eat in, that is fine. I will see you Saturday.

She hit the send button before she could change her mind and snuggled down into the blanket. Within moments she was fast asleep. Her mind clear now that she had responded, she slept deeply.

Teri woke early, feeling refreshed. She had slept way more than eight hours and her headache was gone. She decided she was comfortable with her response to Walker, and since it was so early, she headed down to the diner to have breakfast. As she ate, her mind switched into the lawyer zone and she began to plan out her day. She wasn't usually a morning person, but the extra sleep had left her feeling energetic. By the time she got back to her office, the others were just coming in. Ten minutes later she was deep into her work.

Daniel was relieved to get the text from Teri. He no longer worried that he had scared her off completely. Additionally, her message, though not particularly warm and inviting, was not one-sided either.

Remembering Jason's advice Daniel decided to give Teri as much space as he could, and to try to keep a fairly light tone to his message. He waited a respectable amount of time before replying. "Teri, thanks for your e-mail. You needn't apologize for the delay; I'm sure that you are very busy. I like your suggestion that we play our dinner plans by ear. After we chat for a bit, we can decide whether to eat in or go out. And, don't worry, I won't buy any food that will go to waste if we decide to eat elsewhere. I'm cool with either option. After all, I'm much less interested in the details of dinner than I am in seeing you again."

Daniel was about ready to hit "send" when he decided to review his message, keeping Jason's advice in mind. "Damn," he concluded after his review, "I just can't seem to stop pushing on making this thing more intense!" He deleted the last line, ending the message with him being Ok with either option.

The rest of the week actually sped by, and Daniel relaxed some. In part, this was due to the fact that he was snowed under with routine paperwork. The C & W firm had taken on the task for reviewing county land records to see who owned the mineral rights to what properties. The state was about to authorize oil companies to begin "fracking" operations in the area. Suddenly, mineral rights was a real big deal. The work was tediously boring, but easy and lucrative. C & W had hired part-time help to search the records. All that Daniel had to do was to review their findings.

Friday evening and during the day on Saturday Daniel spent cleaning his house and shopping for groceries and beverages in case he and Teri decided to eat at home. By 5:00 p.m. he was ready, at lest physically, if not psychologically. He needed to clear his head. Daniel took a seat on his screened porch, poured himself a small glass of wine, and waited for Teri's knock.

Teri's week did not slow down and by Saturday she was exhausted. She regretted agreeing to tonight's talk and dinner; she really didn't need the additional stress. Her first thoughts were that she really liked not being responsible to others after work, but, she had to be honest with herself and admit that she also enjoyed the time with Walker. But she sure could do without "The Talk" hanging over her head.

She took a long bath and dressed semi-casually in a simple blue dress in case they went out to dinner. She added some earrings and a bracelet and felt that she was as ready as she could be. It passed through her brain that she was heading for an execution, then laughed at her silliness. It was just a talk and dinner. Once she had herself semi-convinced that the evening would be simple, she drove over to his house.

Once there, Walker invited her in and she found she was curious as to how a bachelor lived these days. It actually was a pretty nice place with a fairly large kitchen and the requisite large screen tv in the living room. At his bidding, she sat in a chair and accepted the glass of wine. At least it gave her something to do with her hands.

Whatever was going to be said had to be started by him. She didn't even know what they were supposed to be talking about. Once he was seated, she looked at him expectantly.